Press Coverage
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The Daily Record |
September 5, 2007 --New Jersey’s own Good Times Band (GTB) have been playing an upbeat array of hit songs for seventeen years around the tri state area; this month they will be performing hits by artists such as Jimmy Buffet, Frank Sinatra, and AC/DC for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Annual Light The Night Walk at Horseshoe Lake in Succasunna on Saturday, September 29th. This performance will be especially memorable for Good Times Band, who have a personal tie to the Society’s mission. GTB’s founder, Michael McCormack, was diagnosed two years ago with lymphoma, and had undergone a series of radiology and chemotherapies. This past month, Mike was re-diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and will once again undergo cancer treatment. “Although we have performed at philanthropic events in the past, The Good Times Band’s support for Light The Night is held particularly close to our hearts, as we are also playing for one of our own” says manager Crystal Piela. Michael McCormick and Good Times Band will be performing crowd pleasing favorites for Light The Night’s participants at the evening event where families and friends walk together in twilight holding illuminated balloons – white for survivors and red for supporters to commemorate lives touched by blood cancers. The Walk will take place across northern New Jersey on Saturday, September 29th in Hoboken, Madison, and Succasunna and Saturday, October 6th in Somerset, Montclair, and Westfield. For more about Good Times Band visit www.goodtimesband.net For additional information on Light The Night, or to register, contact the Northern New Jersey Chapter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society at 908-654-9445 , or visit www.lightthenight.org/nnj |
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| The Advertiser News May 11, 2006 Good Times Band Comes Home |
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| The Daily Record January 14, 2005 Written by: Ellen Wilkowe | Take a number: It was the kind of night where one wished the bar operated on the supermarket deli system. You'd take a number and the bartender would yell - or as in current deli practices electronically broadcast - "now serving." Yeah, it was that packed at Arthur's St. Moritz in Sparta. How packed? It was so packed that most drinks were served in spill-proof plastic cups to reduce broken glass syndrome. While this may portray a lush-filled image, most patrons were not there to imbibe to the point of inebriation. They were there to drink in a celebratory fashion marking a 15-year anniversary. A crystal anniversary. And for a band called the Good Times Band, chalk it up to mere coincidence that the traditional 15-year anniversary offering is a watch and their manager is named Crystal. Wow. Good times, good timing: They're not in it for the money. They're in it for the good times and on this recent Saturday night, while the Jets went into overtime in San Diego, the Good Times Band took to its own stadium, Arthur's St. Moritz, bringing hundreds of its closest fans and radio station 103.7 on board. "This isn't a job, they all have full-time careers," said manager Crystal Piela. "They're just having fun." The first incarnation of GTB, a foursome, assembled circa 1990 in the basement of lead guitarist and core member Mike McCormack. Bassist Les Piela is the other remaining core member. The lineup stayed put for five years, which, in cover band years, equals longevity. When a member left, it was never on bad terms and many come back for guest performances. Ready, no set, go: Friendship is the adhesive for the Morris County based-band that plays all genres and appeals to all ages. "They don't even have a set list - they just feel the crowd out," Piela said. On this recent Saturday night, the small dance floor vibrated to "Shook Me All Night Long" (AC/DC) and what has become the unofficial national anthem for women, "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor, as well as retro-faves like "Play that Funky Music" by Wild Cherry. Between the tied-up Jets game and the tunes, let's just say that if a scantily clad model or Chippendale dancer walked in, they may very well have gone unnoticed. Slowing it down for "Earth Angel" (the Penguins) and then upping the pace with "Hard to Handle" by The Black Crowes kept Carol Vozza of Lafayette and Ralph Nigro of Lake Hiawatha on the dance floor most of the night. Steakhouse by day, party stake-out come Friday and Saturday nights best sums up the weekend scene at this Sparta hotspot. Who's your Daddy? Most opted for standing room or dancing room only, including Kristin Maier and Larissa Gregory of Long Valley, Ally Tullo of Bernardsville and Chrissy McCormack of Whippany. It is no coincidence she shares the same last name as lead guitarist and founder Mike McCormack. He's her father and she was on hand - with friends - to support him. |
| Advertiser-News North October 23, 2003 Written by: Kat Lupo | "The Good Times Band is an appropriately named party band. With covers ranging from Doo Wop to Jimmy Buffett, they appeal to a wide range of musical tastes. The band played Arthur's St. Moritz in Sparta last Saturday to the usual crowded house that Arthur's enjoys. Not usual, however, was the crowded dance floor, which was full from the time the band began playing until the final song..." |
| The Daily Record January 31, 2005 Written by: | Dale Sargeant of Randolph said he served in Southeast Asia during World War II and saw firsthand the poverty in the region. Things, he said Sunday, are not much better in the best of times, and now, following a Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunami that killed between 145,000 and 178,000 people, life is unbelievably difficult for the survivors. That was why Sargeant was among more than 200 people jammed into the Canal House Sunday to support a fundraising Rock for Relief. "I'm here for a good cause," he said between the sets of the Good Time Band and Supernova. "What happened to those people is unbelievable." "I'm also here for the bands," Sergeant said. The show featured five popular local bands -- Good Time Band, Supernova, Band X, Tropical Storm and Automatic Groove -- that donated their fees and helped raise funds with auctions and 50/50 ticket sales. The final tally of funds raised totaled about $1,700, said restaurant manager Anni Scerbo. An exact count is expected today. The money raised will go to UNICEF. Despite being shorthanded, playing for a good cause is what brought out the Good Time Band, said manager Crystal Piela. The five-piece band was short a few pieces Sunday as they performed without their lead singer, who was in Italy, and their drummer, who was replaced by Dave Hedden of Tropical Storm, Piela said. "We are all doing this for the benefit of the tsunami victims," Piela said. Mike McCormick, singer and bassist for Supernova, said the band had played many benefits, including one recently for a young girl with a debilitating medical condition. He said the band jumped at the chance to play at the event to raise funds for the tsunami victims. The bands played a wide mix of recognizable hits, with the Good Time Band running through Jimmy Buffet, Paul Simon, The Kinks, and others. Supernova mixed in U2, Green Day, Bon Jovi, Billy Idol, some Bryan Adams, and for a complete change of pace, "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond. Most of the crowd knew most of the words, which generated some verse trading between the bands and the audience. Among the crowd were former Dover Mayor Steve Shukailo and Wharton Borough Council members Glenn Corbett and Marianne Laux. Vince Meola of Dover and Mike Coonin of Wharton said they both came for the bands and to support the fundraising effort. Coonin said he came especially to hear Band X. Looking at the crowd, Debbie Brosky of Jefferson also noted that "there was no football." The Super Bowl between the Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots is next week. After a spin on the dance floor with some of her friends, Brosky said that the mix of music and the suffering cause by the tsunami brought her to the restaurant Sunday. "This is a good cause," said Brosky, who also said that she made a donation to the Red Cross through her place of work. Looking on as the crowd grew early in the evening, she said, "this is a good way to raise money." The event was sponsored by the restaurant and the Daily Record. Scerbo said she was approached by the Daily Record and quickly agreed to host the event. "We are happy to do it," Scerbo said. The restaurant has always helped out with fundraising for good causes, she said. |